An Investigation of Lateral Geniculate Nucleus Volume in Patients With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Using 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PURPOSE. To investigate lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) volume of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients compared with age-and sex-matched controls using ultra-high field 7.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS. The study included 18 patients with POAG and 18 age-and sex-matched healthy volunteers. All subjects underwent imaging on a high-resolution 7.0-T MRI system. Bilateral LGNs were identified and manually delineated, and LGN volumes were compared. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, optic nerve head parameters (including optic disc size, rim area, and cup-to-disc ratio), and combined thickness of the ganglion cell layer and inner plexus layer (GC-IPL) were measured by Cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography (OCT). Correlations between OCT parameters and LGN volume were investigated. RESULTS. CONCLUSIONS. On high-resolution 7.0-T MRI, LGN volumes in POAG patients are significantly smaller than those of healthy subjects. Furthermore, in patients, LGN volume was found to be significantly correlated with GC-IPL thickness of the contralateral eye. Keywords: glaucoma, lateral geniculate nucleus, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, ganglion cell layer, inner plexiform layer, GC-IPL, optical coherence tomography, 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging R etinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration is the major pathogenetic characteristic of glaucoma. 1-18 Most RGCs synapse the next neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), which serves as an important relay station to visual cortex